Car camping?

[Catrin]

There is a ride I really want to do at the end of April, but as my final Gunnar payment will be due the following week I really don't wish do get a hotel room. There IS a Motel 6 about 20 miles away, but I cannot find ONE good review about the place so I am going to give it a pass.

It is about 3.5 hours drive to the ride location - I am considering going to bed really early the evening before, and getting up early enough to make the drive and then try and get a nap in the car before registration opens. Then I would need to make that same ride home that evening...

Has anyone done this? I do have a little tent so another option might be to borrow a sleeping bag and camp the night before but am unsure that I would actually get any sleep that way either. Just trying to think my way through options and wondering how others have solved similar situations.

[limewave]

I have slept at truck stops before. I either had my parent's van or my SUV. I took out the seats in the back and put a mat in the back to sleep on with some blankets. It seems like I covered the windows in the back with something too, to give me some privacy.

DH and I have car camped together, parking at either Walmart or Cracker Barrel.

[Cataboo]

Depending on how big your tent is, if you go to walmart or target, you can get a cheap twin sized air mattress for $20. They're actually pretty comfortable. If you're car camping, you don't really have to bring a sleeping bag, you could just wrap a couple comforters around yourself.

If your seats fold down in the back of your car and you have a hatch back or station wagon, you could just put an air mattress in the back of that car.

[Crankin]

I wouldn't feel safe sleeping in my car alone, or necessarily with another person, either. I might opt for a crappy Motel 6 over that, if you can't find a campground to pitch a tent in. Of course, I wouldn't get any sleep in a tent, either, although I have camped plenty of times. I did a 4 day tour where we camped, and it was very unpleasant having to ride after getting no sleep.
Can you investigate whether the ride sponsors could hook you up with a local person, who would let you stay at their house? I would trust a fellow cyclist over any of the other options.

[Catrin]

I have slept at truck stops before. I either had my parent's van or my SUV. I took out the seats in the back and put a mat in the back to sleep on with some blankets. It seems like I covered the windows in the back with something too, to give me some privacy.

DH and I have car camped together, parking at either Walmart or Cracker Barrel.

hmmm, all I have is a car, and my bike would be in the trunk for security. My seat does, of course, go back all of the way though - so that would probably work. There is also a local state park where I could register - that would likely be safer than just at a local business - I think this is a pretty rural area.

This is how I am resisting the allure of 44 degree temps - I want to ride my bike but my legs are telling me to take a break today

Cataboo and Crankin - thanks for your tips as well and I will look into them - I didn't see them before I posted this. The Motel 6 didn't sound particularly safe from the reviews which is why I rejected it. I will see if there might be another one within a 50 mile radius.